Drug addict who abandoned a schoolboy in the woods, then sparked a major search operation dodges jail A drug addict who abandoned a terrified boy in a desolate wood before sparking a major missing person search has dodged jail.
Ashley McGovern dodged a jail sentence at the High Court in Glasgow despite pleading guilty to 'wilfully ill-treating and neglecting' a boy she abandoned in the woods.
The 31-year-old sparked a massive search operation involving 60 police officers, the force helicopter with mountain rescue and coastguard teams having lied that the boy had vanished while picking up his bike.
McGovern had earlier admitted wilfully ill-treating and neglecting the boy to his severe injury, permanent impairment and to the danger of his life.
Ashley McGovern drove the nine-year-old into the countryside near her then home in East Lothian before leaving the youngster, who was afraid of dark, to his fate.
